Sour sugarcanes

 

 

Prasoon Majumdar's analysis of the sugarcane issue and the government's price fixation policy with focus on the woes of farmers, mill owners and the end users, in addition to the crisis been blown out of proportion by selfish politicians having a stake was well brought out (TSI, Nov 23-29). Due to scanty rainfall every year since past two to three decades, the gap has widened in terms of agricultural yield and productivity between states to states and sugarcane is no exception. In order to ensure that farmers do not get discouraged from cultivating sugarcane due to government's stand of uniform pricing for sugarcane all over the country and at the same time arrest the spiralling price of sugar in the retail market, it is time that Centre evolves a conducive policy to protect the interests of farmers, mill owners as well end users who are forced to pay a high price in the open market. However, the panacea to end the problems faced by sugarcane growers and the common man is to deregulate the market so that farmers get a fair and remunerative price for sugarcane and the common man is relieved of the burden of paying more.

R Srinivasan

Secunderabad